Pillar Box Gardens Nursery

Inspection of Pillar Box Gardens Nursery 49 Fairfield Road, Bow, London E3 2QA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children happily arrive at the nursery. They are warmly greeted by a familiar staff member. They settle quickly and confidently begin to explore the exciting activities on offer. Staff have high expectations for children's achievements. They are skilled at reintroducing familiar activities to them throughout the day. This helps children to remain motivated and extends their learning. For example, children remember to practise controlling their movements while creating patterns on the outside chalk board.

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The provision is good

Children's emotional needs are very well supported by staff. Children enjoy a cuddle and some reassurance when they are upset. They happily sit together on the carpet and enjoy singing songs and listening to stories. Staff encourage children to behave well through gentle reminders of expected behaviour. Children understand how to manage their own feelings and impulses, developing friendships as they learn to respect one another. Staff value each child's uniqueness. They encourage them to be curious and experiment in their play. Children confidently choose activities they are interested in. They show good concentration and persevere when a task is challenging. Older children acquire knowledge over time. For example, young children enthusiastically predict the words of a favourite story before the words are read aloud.

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need to do better?

n Settling-in procedures are effective. Staff gather information from parents about children's interests when they start at the nursery. They use this information, and their own observations, to plan activities that build on children's prior knowledge and skills. Even children who are new to the setting enthusiastically engage in group activities. They listen attentively to the stories and learn to pay attention to and repeat the actions in popular songs. n Staff understand what they want children to learn. They follow children's interests and support them in a way that is appropriate to their level of development. Planning and assessment take account of children's individual learning and development needs. Most children are making good progress. n Staff understand the importance of encouraging young children to repeat activities over time. They know that this practise improves young children's understanding and develops their skills. Learning across the nursery is well

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need to do better?

planned, helping children to make connections and extend their knowledge and skills. n Personal, social and emotional development is a key focus across the nursery. The key-person system is well embedded, ensuring children quickly become emotionally secure and confident. n Communication and language development is a high priority. Staff encourage

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need to do better?

5 October 2021 children to develop their communication skills by talking to them, emphasising key words, and describing what they are doing. However, they do not always use the correct words when describing objects. This can hinder language learning, particularly for children who speak English as an additional language. n The manager has a strong vision. She is ambitious for the nursery and is clear about how to improve it. The system for staff supervision and performance monitoring supports staff in their professional development. Regular supervision meetings with the manager help staff to reflect on their own practice. They work with the manager to identify training needs to continue to develop their knowledge and skills. n Partnerships with parents are good. Parents report they are very happy with the provision and their children's experiences at the nursery. They observe how confident and independent their children have become. Communication with

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need to do better?

parents is regular and informs them of their child's progress at nursery. Parents were updated regularly on the changes to provision and health and safety issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. n Staff support children to be healthy and to understand the importance of eating healthy food. Children try new foods and are beginning to learn the importance of eating fruit and vegetables. The menu is nutritious and is adapted to take account of children's individual dietary needs. Older children practise their dexterity while learning to peel satsumas and bananas under close supervision. They enjoy their healthy snack in a relaxed and social environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The manager and staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. Robust recruitment and vetting systems are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They know the signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm. Staff understand the correct procedures to follow if they have concerns about children's welfare. The manager makes sure that there are always a high number of staff to supervise and support children. Staff encourage children to manage their own risks. Daily checks are completed to identify hazards and to reduce risks in the nursery environment.

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should:

n ensure that staff's use of spoken English is consistent and accurate to support children's English language acquisition, specifically when supporting children who speak English as an additional language.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY152556 Local authority Tower Hamlets Inspection number 10207623 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Full day care

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inspection

Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 21 Name of registered person Pillar Box Nurseries Ltd

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reference number

Telephone number 0208 983 7431 Date of previous inspection 18 November 2016

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Information about this early years setting

Pillar Box Gardens Nursery registered in 2001. It is situated in Bow, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is part of the Pillar Box Nurseries chain. When children reach 18 months old they transfer to Pillar Box Montessori Nursery, which is situated nearby. The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.55pm for 49 weeks of the year. It is registered for up to 30 children aged from birth to 18 months old. There are eight childcare staff; of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 6 and four hold qualifications at level 2 and above.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the nursery received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the provider. n The manager and the inspector completed a learning walk around the nursery. They discussed how the curriculum is organised and planned. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the manager. n The inspector spoke to staff during the inspection about their activities and different roles. n Parents spoke to the inspector and shared their views of the setting. These were considered. n A variety of documents, including qualifications, suitability checks, policies and records, were reviewed. The inspector discussed leadership and management with the manager and provided feedback.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

5 October 2021 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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